


changing tides

by dabblingwithwords



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Domestic Boyfriends, Fluff, JUST, M/M, Naruto is a good Hokage, POV Multiple, Protectiveness, Romance, a happy fic 'cause we all deserve it but especially naruto and sasuke, he said gay rights
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-25
Updated: 2019-10-25
Packaged: 2021-01-03 02:02:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21171593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dabblingwithwords/pseuds/dabblingwithwords
Summary: naruto is the first hokage to legalize gay marriage. needless to say it’s a busy tuesday.





	changing tides

Shikamaru has sighed for the eleventh time in ten minutes.

Naruto knows because he’s been counting.

“I don’t see what the issue is,” Naruto says, “this should’ve been done long before me.”

“There’s a reason it hasn’t,” Shikamaru states.

“Yeah, ‘cause people are homophobic.”

“Yes– most of our allies.”

“Well,” Naruto says, like this is the easiest thing in the world and won’t put him on the radar for even more assassination attempts, “we don’t want them on our side anyway.”

Shikamaru is running out of patience.

He goes to the one person who has held any sway over Naruto.

+

“_That’s_ why you’re here?” Sasuke Uchiha asks, not looking up from his mountain of scrolls, ink pen delicately held between his fingers, “To whine about Naruto?”

“He’s making a brash decision,” Shikamaru points out, to a seemingly careless Sasuke.

“He’s always doing that,” Sasuke says, finally looking up, “isn’t this your job? Why come to me?”

Shikamaru bristles.

“Because he’d be cutting the weak ties with Ame, Sound, and Earth. He’ll listen to you.”

Sasuke shrugs.

“His mind is made up,” the Uchiha states, turning his attention back to his table, “and I support it.”

Shikamaru blinks.

Then blinks again. 

“You–”

“You’ve never been shunned, Nara,” Sasuke interrupts, his expression still lax but his tone more solid– sharper around the vowels, “you’ve never been ostracized on something beyond your control. This doesn’t mean much to you. It does to Naruto.”

Shikamaru stands; unsure for the first time, and after a few tense minutes of silence where Sasuke doesn’t acknowledge him Shikamaru takes the hint and leaves.

+

Naruto announces it the next day, before Shikamaru has had time to up his security, or plan his speech, or _anything_–

“You’re an idiot,” Sakura hisses, barging into the Hokage office not fifteen minutes later– “where’s your ANBU? Where’s your security? You can’t just drop a life changing bomb on the entire nation, Naruto, without guaranteeing your safety–”

“Whoa, Sakura-chan,” Naruto laughs, unbothered, his smile wide and contagious and even Shikamaru has given up on trying to explain to Naruto all the ways he could’ve gone about this, “I’m totally fine.”

“Step away from the window you’re stressing me out!” she snaps.

Naruto crosses his arms and doesn’t move.

It’s probably a stupid choice judging by the vein throbbing in Sakura’s forehead.

“Look,” Naruto says, addressing both of them, “I get that this is risky–”

“Oh, _good_, because you're acting like it's not,” Sakura seethes.

“_But_,” Naruto pushes on, an edge to his gaze, “do you know how many children will now grow up not thinking that there’s something wrong with them? How many people can walk down the street with the person they love and not feel the need to hide it? I understand the risks–” he looks at Shikamaru, his blue eyes hard and powerful, “and I get what it means for my safety–” he glances to Sakura and she softens, considerably, under his words, “but it’s worth it. It’s _so_ worth it. I didn’t want to become Hokage to mindlessly sign the same laws that have been in place for decades. I wanted to become Hokage to make a difference. And this is one that’s needed to happen for years. I’m not backing down on this.”

All the fight drains Sakura in a whoosh. Her shoulders droop, her head bows, and she lets on a wheezing breath. Shikamaru feels like he should give them a moment.

He slips out the door just as Sakura begins to cry and Naruto wraps his arms around her.

+

He decides a smoke will help his nerves.

And there _are_ nerves: concern and frustration, all bubbling under his skin. So he heads to the roof where the sun will warm him and the clouds will crawl and he can clear his mind for a moment.

He should probably have expected to find the Uchiha here.

“You’re worried too, huh?” he asks as he takes a long drag, reveling in nagging the other man just a bit for yesterday.

Sasuke doesn’t respond but that’s to be expected.

To anyone else they’d think the man was staring at the sky, relaxing on a nice day. Shikamaru knows better– has known the Uchiha since they were children, and he can read the tension in the man’s shoulders, the battle stance, like the back of his hand.

It gives him some comfort, to know that Naruto has a ninja as powerful as Sasuke Uchiha watching over him.

He moves to stand alongside, and for a while they say nothing. Then, carefully, Shikamaru says, “congratulations, by the way.”

Sasuke glances at him from the corner of his eye, expression unreadable. He nods, a silent acknowledgement, and on anyone else it would’ve been a gesture as grand as a hug.

Shikamaru will take it.

"You gotta look after him," Shikamaru says, breaking the delicate silence with a fierce desire to word this, "especially now." 

He thinks Sasuke won't say anything. Or will just glare, and ignore. Or push him off the roof. Instead, Sasuke surprises him. 

"That was always the plan," he responds. 

Shikamaru grins and holds out his cig. Sasuke plucks it from his fingers and that’s how their afternoon is spent: Shikamaru watching the clouds and Sasuke watching everything else.

+

Things change slowly.

Like ice breaking, tiny cracks that spread more and more and more: Naruto pays attention.

He knows that this is big. Monumental. He knows that Shikamaru has been intercepting more death threats than usual, knows that besides Gaara reaching out to extend his approval that no other Kage have done the same.

It’s tense, and Naruto is aware of this.

What’s tenser is–

“Sasuke,” Naruto sighs, arms crossed and hair still wet from his shower, “you have to stop.”

Sasuke doesn’t stop.

He doesn’t even move from his position by the window.

“I saw something,” he says, eyes narrowing, “it could be–”

“You’re worse than Shikamaru you know that?” Naruto interrupts, tired and exhausted and the last thing he needs right now is his fiancé acting more neurotic than usual, “There’s no one out there. I mean, a cat, probably–”

“You’re too relaxed,” Sasuke snaps and finally turns away from the glass to glare at Naruto instead, “you’ve put yourself in the sight of vengeful nations like–”

He cuts himself off, frustrated, and Naruto sighs, uncrossing his arms and padding over to Sasuke’s tense form.

He takes his hand and kneels before him and Sasuke watches, eyes narrowed suspiciously.

“And you’re too tense,” Naruto says, bringing Sasuke’s clenched fist to his lips and kissing each scarred knuckle until the hand relaxes, uncurls so that Sasuke can trace his fingers absentmindedly over Naruto’s chin, his lips, the marks on his cheeks, “I know I made a big and probably dangerous decision. But I’m happy with it. So many more people are better for it. It’ll settle soon, Sas, I promise. I’m pretty tough, remember, I can take care of myself.”

“You can’t,” Sasuke says but some of the tension has eased from his posture, “you only know how to boil water.”

Naruto leers.

“I also know how to suck–”

Sasuke covers his mouth with his hand.

“You’re a moron,” Sasuke tells him but his voice is soft and proud– quiet and gentle in a way it never is around anyone else and Naruto pushes up on his knees so that they’re closer, “but this was the right decision. Even if you handled it as poorly as everything else.”

Naruto moves Sasuke’s hand and holds it instead.

“Aw,” Naruto sighs and nuzzles his nose against Sasuke’s cheek, “Sas, you big softy–”

“Shut up,” Sasuke grumbles but he lets Naruto kiss him, then kiss him some more, and soon Sasuke steps away from the window because the bed seems much more ideal.

+

The moon shines through the blinds, paints their bedroom in a milky white glow, and Sasuke lies awake and watches Naruto snore soundly beside him.

He’s taken over the whole bed and half of Sasuke’s pillow but Sasuke can’t find the energy to be annoyed.

And the days pass in blurs, with different responses from different nations and Naruto handles it like he handles everything– genuine and stupid and heartfelt.

Sasuke watches how Konoha changes, how weeks and months pass and there is more love in the street, a more open feeling in the air, and when Naruto crawls into their bed one night and tells Sasuke about these two young girls who came up to him and asked to officiate their future wedding Sasuke pretends the one crying is Naruto.

And Naruto– lovely, naïve, passionate Naruto– lets him.

**Author's Note:**

> idk i wrote this really fast happy friday!


End file.
